Trip Report to Belarus with abelarusbride.com - a multi-part report

[Turboguy]

One of my first trips was to Vitebsk and it was a very interesting city to visit.  I do think there are advantages to going to the more out of the way places such as Vitebsk.

I have mixed feelings reading about his trip.  As many choices as there are of how to go about this I would be a little hard pressed to spend $ 1000.00 for nothing.  Still I have heard more good than bad about this agency. 

His meetings were disappointing to say the least.  I think that at least a small part of that was that he didn't want to do it the way they wanted him to.  They wanted him to contact ladies in advance and he wanted to go there.  My limited expience with trying to arrange short notice meetings was about a 20% result, not too much different that what he experienced. 

We don't know much about him or what he wanted.  It is possible he is 80 years old, weighs 600 pounds and has warts all over his face and wants to meet 20 year old model quality women but I doubt that is the case.  The more someone is shopping within their league the more chance they have of many women wanting to meet them. 

It is his choice if he wants to give up as he seems to say or search more now that he is a little wiser and more experienced.  If Edison had given up after his first failure to produce a light bulb we would be reading my candle light (well maybe that is a bit of an exageration).  I think of Edison since he is the only one who had more failures to produce a light bulb than I did trying to find the right woman.  We both stuck with it and we both had success. 

For the money he paid then he could have almost paid for a two city tour with Jack and met tons of great women.  All, in all, it sounds more like he was taken to the cleaners than anything and if he does want to hang up his spurs at this stage he is probalby not cut out for an FSU woman anyway.  It takes persistance and determination to succeed. 

It was an interesting story and it does show that this is not always an easy task.  I am sure it is frustrating to go someplace like that with the belief you will meet a lot of great women and to come up so dry.  I am sorry it went so bad.

[TwoBitBandit]

We don't know much about him or what he wanted.  It is possible he is 80 years old, weighs 600 pounds and has warts all over his face and wants to meet 20 year old model quality women but I doubt that is the case.  The more someone is shopping within their league the more chance they have of many women wanting to meet them.  

Agreed: some of the most important information is missing from this thread.

I'm aware of at least one report of a guy using this agency where the guy went to Vitebsk, met the girl he was writing to, married her and now they live in the US.  (I spent some time searching through the archives but couldn't find the report.)  I don't think that this agency is a "scam agency."  The one thing that is clear from this thread is that there were some epic misunderstandings.

I think that this trip report just highlights the importance of:
1.  Be persistent, the first trip isn't always the best
2.  Be sure you are dating in your league
3.  If you're using an agency, be sure you set clear expectations

[Turboguy]

Nice post TwoBit,  When I started there was no RWD to learn from the mistakes of others.  I had to make them myself and I am quite expert at that.  When I tried things that didn't work, I just decided that the method was wrong and tried to find a new one.  Learning the hard way can be frustrating and expensive.  I probably blew 20 grand on my three big agency tours before I decided that they didn't work.  I threw in the towel at one point for a year. 

There is nothing easy about this process.  If you don't have enough determination to hang in for the searching stage you probably don't have enough determination to make the marriage work either so those that give up are probably doing the right thing.

[Jumper]

For what its worth ,
I meant Vitebsk was off the beaten path to have two RWD members there at the same time /same week ..

ECR said he saw the OP there!



as far as the rest,, the OP stated he wasn't the hunchback of Notre Dame,
he appeared to be looking for ladies in his age range..

and the jest i get from it ,
 he simply expected the agency to live up to what it stated.
That it knows the women first hand.

Since a random woman the "terp" had meet him to *pinch hit* ..
got  his intro letter,and photos
yet others he wanted to meet  appear not to have,
 he sure seems to have a legitimate complaint.

his terp states she 'just does her job" to him, and doesnt know the ladies..he planned to see
then who does?

I can understand his frustration -
he went with them specifically because of this advertising-

***********************
We deal with real people in real situations who we know. When you join with us, we take the time to get to know you and we match you with the right Russian woman for marriage who we also know. We are small, we offer you personal service.
 ***********************

While he may not have wanted to follow their business model . or meetinmgs model ,, to  T..
he certainly from the advertisment  expected they *know* most of the women listed.

 
There isnt enough evidence either way to say..
I'm just pointing out the OP was pretty clear...

Sandros responce was  what most anyone would have under the circumstances ,and the OP just seems to be wanting to warn others of this possibilty.

[ECR844Again]

ECR-
the OP stated -
She was about 5.9 or more without heels  

not that it really matters , but if she's 5'5 in the profile ,that's a pretty significant difference
or he is incredibly bad at judging someones height ?

you seem to be there and have met her..

anyway Vitbsk seems a bit off the beaten path to  have  a couple RWD members to , did this agency do some serious advertising or emailing , i'm  just curious  how you and the OP found out about this agency.


As far as the OP needing to adapt and overcome .. i agree in the FSU this is often the case.

His experience though certainly seems that he was mislead ,and certainly received very little if anything for the money spent.

I found them on my own and after some serious due diligence. I'd worked with them for a bit had good experiences with their ladies just a few of the ones I corresponded with or met in the states didn't work out for reasons that occur between 2 people as opposed to a misrepresentation by either party, or the agency, or cultural issues.

In regards to height, I saw her for the first time when she was with SDT at Da Vinci. She was clearly on 6"+ stiletto heels and if she was 5'5" that would push her height to about 6'1" or so...Take what observation from that as you will but she was certainly taller at that time than "SDT."  In regards to her weight. I'd estimate much less, She was also in great shape and had a great body but that's just this mans opinion who was judging from a short time and distance from them both.

In regards to my experiences I will share some of that on the forum here. Some of it is very similar and other parts not so much. I'm shortly going to see if the fix made to my original screen name has worked though and post it using that moniker instead.

[ECR844Again]

For what its worth ,
I meant Vitebsk was off the beaten path to have two RWD members there at the same time /same week ..

ECR said he saw the OP there!

I did, and for my trip I was here about 20 days. leaving tomorrow as a matter of fact and I'm sure that the Admin and tech people or mods can confirm that as I'm posting from the hotel lobby here now via my logged IP.

Vitebsk is off the beaten path and I really like it here. Take note though money isn't necessarily tight around here, so the MEE proponents and practitioners will need to pursue their ladies on an equal and or normal relationship basis. Lots of folks with cars, disposable income, and electronics here. Food for thought...

[ecr844]

All right I got my original moniker working again and I'll post something with in the next week or so.

[Jumper]

I did, and for my trip I was here about 20 days. leaving tomorrow as a matter of fact and I'm sure that the Admin and tech people or mods can confirm that as I'm posting from the hotel lobby here now via my logged IP.

Vitebsk is off the beaten path and I really like it here. Take note though money isn't necessarily tight around here, so the MEE proponents and practitioners will need to pursue their ladies on an equal and or normal relationship basis. Lots of folks with cars, disposable income, and electronics here. Food for thought...

ECR - just to be clear ,   i never meant that as questioning the validity of either of you being there   certainly no need for Ip checks !:)

i just found it "cool" or unique !!
in that "what small world " kind of way-
that 2 members would be in that city ,the same time frame and restaurant for that matter.

It is cool that you can  expand on the dating and situations there..
thanks!
 

[ecr844]

"AJ,"

No worries, I also the last few days I was there met an American who was staying at the same place I was visiting a much younger lady (He looked to be mid 50's and she was late 20's) whom he'd known for a few years and had first met her in Dubai while there on business.

Seems like there are plenty of folks going there and just keeping mum about it.

[GlobalEuphoria]

  Just too add a little background to the agency in question... I was involved with them a little bit and was suprised at how the communication and caring dries up once the money is handed over.  I won't say don't use this service but I will say buyer beware.

[brad5959]

I have become a member of this forum only on June 9 in order to divulge what happens if you
use shady agencies with shoe string operations out of a garage. They do not really have what it takes to carry on an honest business. My goal is not to argue with other members of this forum like “facetrock” to whom I am ready to send the same pictures I have sent to “abelarusbride.com” if he would indicate me his private e-mail.
That “agency” does not have model type ladies and the one I met (30 years of age) was the youngest in my list. True, she did not see my letter of introduction and the photos but she asked me to have another meeting after the first and also if I wanted to spend the week end together in Minsk which I denied.
She was very attractive and probably she wouldn’t have done that if I had looked like Frankestein; but than again, all the facetrocks of the forum would than say that she would have done that with anybody regardless how good or bad he looked.
The truth of the matter is that because of the “agency’s “unethical way of conducting business I NEVER HAD A SHRED OF A CHANCE from the onset because I couldn’t meet anybody although I was assured long before my departure that all of them were available.
If not, they should have notified it to me BEFORE my departure and not WHEN I WAS ALREADY THERE.but this would have implied that they are honest.
My goal here is to achieve that as many as possible read what happened to me with that “agency” so that they think twice before embarking in such a risky endeavour.
Now, thinking back at that horrible trip I begin to understand details that I overlooked when I was there. Now I begin to understand why the interpreter tried to suggest me to spend more time with this one girl and why she mentioned that many clients after having met a beautiful lady no longer want to meet others. Now I begin to understand why the interpreter often repeated that she did not know any of the ladies.....
This is going to be my last post on this subject and since I am no longer going to pursue the idea
of finding a soulmate from the FSU this is probably going to be my last post period.
I still hope that many read my trip report and avoid the mistakes I have made.

did you pay this $1,000.00 with a credit card??  if so you should dispute the charges.  if you have a long term relationship with your cc company they may take your side in the matter.  I think at the very least you should make a complaint with the Better Business Bureau about these scheisters.

[JohnDearGreen]

I did, and for my trip I was here about 20 days. leaving tomorrow as a matter of fact...
...
All right I got my original moniker working again and I'll post something with in the next week or so.

Did you survive the last day in Vitebsk?
Still waiting for trip report...

[Olga_Mouse]

Did you survive the last day in Vitebsk? Still waiting for trip report...

Yes Eric did - he even managed to survive the flight back 

[civi68]

Sorry to hear about your loss. Over the years, I used various agencies including two tours with European Connections and AFA. I used Majestic ladies and Cindy Agency in Dnepropetrovsk, Khersonrose (out of business) and Khersongirls in Kherson. The office manager of majestic ladies knew most of the ladies enough to say whether she thought the woman would like me or I would like her. Cindy agency didn't know the women and many of them seemed to be tired of the agency calling. Khersongirls was good. The tours were good in 1999 when most women were interested in leaving. The scam you had to worry about back then was women having much sex with you to get to America and then divorce you. Now, you have to worry about them getting things from you while they stay in the FSU or don't even have sex with you.
   My best success with meeting interested women was using the internet sites where you pay a monthly fee and using agencies as a back-up. You still end up meeting some women that are only looking for something to do when they finally meet you or ones interested in dinners. But you don't lose money from paying for letters or meetings. You can screen out some by how much they write to you. The days of me paying agencies for endless blind dates is over. Best to eliminate some online before you travel. MIke

[ML]

   My best success with meeting interested women was using the internet sites where you pay a monthly fee and using agencies as a back-up. You still end up meeting some women that are only looking for something to do when they finally meet you or ones interested in dinners. But you don't lose money from paying for letters or meetings. You can screen out some by how much they write to you. The days of me paying agencies for endless blind dates is over. Best to eliminate some online before you travel. MIke

Very sensible approach.

[ecr844]

Did you survive the last day in Vitebsk?
Still waiting for trip report...

You can read it here: http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=12357.0

[ecr844]

Yes Eric did - he even managed to survive the flight back 

I wish I had enough cheese to entice our resident Moscow Mouse to show me all the secret tunnels Khrushchev had built to get to the other side.  

[Eduard]

It is true that russians love their “dachas” but they can go there every single week end during the nice season. If the ladies had been seriously interested in meeting a man from the west they would have forgone ONE weekend to their dachas. Out of 9 ladies no one was apparently willing to do so; which tells me that their real interest in meeting a man who travelled so many miles to visit them was close to 0.   

I'm always surprised to read about this myth that FSU women are actively seeking a WM. Sure, there are a few, but they are a very minute number compared to all single women there. And many of those few wouldn't be such a good choice for a WM anyway. Obviously those 9 ladies weren't "seriously interested" in meeting A man from the West. But they might have been interested in meeting THE man who they got to know well through correspondence, connected with and developed at least a good friendship with on line prior to the visit.
If it's just an "A man" - dacha apparently has a higher priority for them... and honestly I can understand their rational.

[Vaughn]

- dacha apparently has a higher priority for them... and honestly I can understand their rational.

 

Eduard, I have to agree. Thinking way back to 2001 - my "girlfriend" wanted the best of both -
and so we ended up spending a couple of days harvesting outside of Nizhni Novgorod.

To be honest - time in the garden was an excellent way for us to get to know one another -
not by itself, but we could mutually observe work ethic, stamina, sense of humor, compatibility, etc.

[Eduard]

To be honest - time in the garden was an excellent way for us to get to know one another -
not by itself, but we could mutually observe work ethic, stamina, sense of humor, compatibility, etc.

makes perfect sense!

[Jack]

My best success with meeting interested women was using the internet sites where you pay a monthly fee and using agencies as a back-up.

 
Mike, this is a very good approach and an approach that a lot of men use with success. A combination of monthly fee sites, free sites and agencies.